When Doves Cry
by Spirit0
Summary: AU Van is hated for curses beyond his control; being the last living Draconian and the illegitimate child of King Goau Fanel. Now, in a plot to conquer Gaea, Folken seeks to kill his half-brother. However, the only thing Van regrets is falling in love . .
1. The Wedding

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, yeah, new story, yell at me, because I don't care! (Okay, so what if I do?!) My muse was like 'Eh, no Last Stop or anything so hey, let's write a new one!' Oi, I was trying to put off this idea until I finished another story . . . But have I been known to keep promises ? (If you don't know the answer, just a heads up, it's no.)**

**As of this moment, this story is not planned out; so it's a free for all! I'll probably start planning after the third or forth chapter, though. There are a lot more characters in this, so . . . I don't know if I'll do interactions too well (sorry).**

**One other thing, this story IS based on the song by Prince; however, you will not find the lyrics anywhere in this fic. The reason being- I have drifted too far from those lyrics, and they do not reflect the story accurately anymore. But I decided to keep the name. _That_ still fits .**

**Gawd, I need to learn to shut up. On with the story!**

When Doves Cry

Chapter One: The Wedding

A distant clap of thunder could be heard, scattering whoever was left out on the wet streets. The rain wasn't heavy, but relentless. This was the fifth day of darkness, much to everyone's annoyance. Fathers did not bring in much revenue from work; merchants or farmers alike. Mothers could not escape their whinny children, nor could they gossip and shop with other women. And children were becoming restless, cooped up in their houses by themselves, with the exception of their parents, or their annoying siblings. Everything was just wet.

Inside the smallest, raggediest, and most out-of-the-way hut lay a young man, no more than sixteen years of age. There was only one poorly-constructed bed, in one poorly-constructed room, which he lay on. The hut consisted of only three rooms, with only one window, which had no shutters, allowing the rain to splatter in as it pleased. But there was nothing of value in this so-called house anyway, so it did not matter.

The man stared at the ceiling as if it were a very complex and exciting television show. He wasn't really seeing anything, not even the shabby ceiling, for his eyes were clouded over. Not from death; on the contrary, he was very much alive. In a still-breathing, walking, talking sense. His soul, however, was on the brink of death.

A raindrop hit him square on the forehead, breaking the trance which the ceiling had doused him into. With annoyance in his unique auburn eyes, he took the time to actually _see _the ceiling. Another drop hit his nose. There was a small leak that would surely grow in size.

"Aw, shit," the young man cursed, sitting up and making a quick sweep of the room. He shivered. The only clothes he wore, that he _had_, were a sleeveless red shirt, khaki pants, and a pair of old riding gloves. With no sheets for his bed and no shutters for his window, plus the rain, he was cold. The only thing he cherished in the house was his old, chipped sword. And that would not bring him warmth.

Slipping on his old pair of riding boots, he went across the small room and picked up a medium-sized bowl. Walking back, he placed it under the leak which was growing in size already. If it wasn't fixed soon, there possibly won't be a roof left. Not that anyone would honestly care.

Sitting down beside the bowl, the man leaned against the wall, staring out the window. There was nothing to do. There was never anything for _him_ to do.He sighed, running a hand through his always-disheveled black hair. His eyes were beginning to cloud again, when the door was flung open to reveal a sopping wet figure.

The figure stepped into the house, shook itself, then walked in and closed the door. Walking into the dim light the window emitted, a cat-like person took form. Attentive, pointy orange and black ears were flat and pink hair was drenched. The feeble dress stuck to her fur, which was matted, and the white poofs around her ankles and wrists were dripping excess water. She shivered slightly.

Pushing her hair out of the way, her blue eyes collided with the man's auburn ones. "It's a horrible day out, Van," she said just before she sneezed.

"I noticed," the man, Van, said softly as he removed his shirt to reveal his muscular chest. He handed the meager cloth to her. "And that's why you shouldn't be out in it."

"I was looking for food," the cat-girl replied defensively as she pushed his shirt back at him. "You keep it," she whispered before shaking herself again.

Van was about to insist, but knew he wouldn't win the battle, so instead he put his shirt back on gratefully. After all, he was just as cold. Glaring at his companion, he shot, "When will you learn, Merle?"

"I'll learn when I'm actually wrong!" Merle cried stubbornly.

Van chuckled, not a happy one, but rather a low, sinister chuckle. "You're always wrong, yet you haven't learned a damn thing."

Merle said nothing.

Hugging her wet body close to his, Van whispered in her ear, "So, I'm guessing you had no luck finding food?"

"Does it _look_ like I did?" Merle hissed quietly, being so close to his ear. "The only thing I managed to 'get' was the information that the wedding will be two days after the rain ends."

As soon as the word 'wedding' passed over her lips, Van's muscles tightened, nearly crushing the cat-girl. The sound of his barely-controlled breathing was harsh on her sensitive ears. In her misguided anger, she had let slip a painful tidbit of information to Van. Now, she felt dreadfully sorry . . . and scared.

Van wouldn't meet her eyes as he let go of her, his front drenched from the excess water. He only just stared at the floor. The wedding was supposed to be that very day, but the rain obviously hindered that. He knew it had to be someday. Some very happy day. It was unavoidable. So, why did he think he could keep avoiding it?

That very painful day.

"Van--" Merle fumbled with the words as he suddenly lifted his eyes to meet her own. There it was again, that clouded over, dead-looking stare. A flash of lightning illuminated the room.

Without a word, Van climbing into his bed, shivering and facing the wall. He was now surrounded by an invisible force field. There was nothing left to be said.

oOo

From the palace that housed Basram's rulers, which was seated on a hill, there was a pleasant view of the country. Or there would have been, had it not been gray, wet, and virtually dead outside. Even still, a young woman sitting in her room continued to stare out at the scene. She was almost sixteen, was highly attractive. Her hair was sandy blond, almost halfway down her back and tied up in a loose ponytail. Green, piercing green eyes shone, with a beautiful, slender body to match. She was the sort who had men drooling at her feet.

Yet she did not smile and showed no sign of happiness.

She sighed and lay down on her lavished bed. The truth was, she was happy, if only a little. Today was supposed to be her wedding day. Thankfully it rained. Thankfully. Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions, were they not? They were supposed to symbolize the joining of two souls in love. But the man for whom she was to marry, she did not love. Therefore, she was thankful.

But she couldn't avoid the inevitable.

A light tap on the door brought her out of her miserable thoughts. For a moment, she pondered whether or not to grant the person access. She did not want to speak with anyone. But, if they truly desired to speak with _her_, all they had to do was turn the door knob.

"Come in," she said in defeat.

The door screeched open to reveal a man, a few years older than herself. His long blond hair flowed majestically down to his waist, earning him a pretty boy appearance. His eyes were a deep blue, and his clothes were those of a knight. A very high-ranking knight, as they were both regal and armor-ish. To complete the effect of a knight in shining armor, a sword was at his side.

Stepping inside, he said, "Your father wishes us to join him for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," the girl said. "Tell him I will not be joining him. Besides, I don't want to eat dinner with _you_, Allen."

Allen walked over to her bed, standing over her. "Come now, is that any way to talk to your future husband, Princess Hitomi?" He leaned down and kissed her, until she struggled away.

"I hate you and you know it!" Hitomi hissed, glaring up at him. There was no point in fighting him. He was, after all, a knight, and could easily overtake her. Plus, she knew he would do nothing further. He had no right to her _yet._ She only feared what would happen after they were married . . .

After a few moments of glaring, Allen smiled one of his crafty smiles. "Surely you can't still be hung up about _him?_"

"_He_ is none of your business!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Now, get out of my room!"

"As you wish, Princess," Allen said with a bow before walking off.

Hitomi buried her face in her pillow.

oOo

"Get ready."

oOo

The rain stopped three days later with preparations for the wedding being done at lightning speed. The area around the outside of the palace gates, where the wedding was to be held, was blocked off so it could be set up. Everyone in Basram was scrambling to be ready for the big day.

Well, almost everyone.

Van and Merle watched from the sidelines as everyone around them ran around like crazy. To them, he didn't exist. Nobody wanted his help, lest he defile whatever he touched. Nobody wanted Merle's help simply because she interacted with him. Since the two of them had no other clothes but the ones they were wearing, and had no money to buy a gift, there was nothing for them to do. Not that Van wanted to have anything to do with the preparations anyway. The only thing he desired to do, perhaps, was burn them all to the ground. Instead, he busied himself with fixing his roof.

Inside the palace, Hitomi and Allen were forbidden from seeing each other. Both were having last minute work done, such as seeing if their clothes were properly tailored. As much as Hitomi was relieved at not seeing Allen, it wasn't of much comfort. The only reason she couldn't see him was so they could look special on their wedding day.

Basically, so she could see him every damn day of her life after that.

The day finally came, when all of Basram gathered to watch their Princess marry off to one of the Knights Caeli, Allen Schezar. Only now, it would be Lord Schezar. Whether the people of Basram truly loved him was questionable, but there was no denying their love for Princess Hitomi, even if she used to go off with . . . _him._

Van began to wonder why he was even there, looking the raggediest of them all. He did not want to celebrate this day. But for once, everyone wanted him there. Just to rub it in. Just to gloat and snicker; for they had won. They always won. The only thing Van wondered was when had he started to comply with them?

_I shouldn't be here._

It was too late. The wedding had already begun. Allen was already awaiting his bride at the makeshift alter. Not that Van could actually see him from the very back. But that wasn't what mattered. As he heard the horses hooves slam the ground, he knew it was the carriage carrying the princess. This was all that the people of Basram wanted him to see.

_I refuse to look._

The carriage came to a stop in front of the red carpet that stretched towards the Alter. A guard went over and opened the door, bowing instantly. Merle clung to Van's arm tightly, ears flattened. Why was he still looking? What was compelling him to be here in the first place?

_No._

Hitomi stepped out of the carriage ceremoniously. If she didn't look stunning before, she sure as hell did now. Her white dress was embellished with diamonds, and brought out her slender curves in all the right places with a low neck line. Around her neck, she wore her lucky pendant; pink and in the shape of a tear. He couldn't be sure from the veil she wore, but Van felt as though their eyes had locked.

He turned away abruptly, jaw clenched tight. He was shaking. Merle nuzzled his arm.

_This is my own damn fault!_

Hitomi became lost among the sheer body of the crowd; everyone staring at her in awe. Van never turned to look again. He wanted to run away. But something kept his feet planted to the spot. Running away was for cowards. If there was anything Van wasn't, it was a coward.

Allen linked his arm with Hitomi's, leading them both the rest of the way up the Alter. The priest was waiting. And so, the ceremony began . . .

oOo

"I'm going in."

"No, wait a moment!"

"_Now!"_

oOo

"Do you, Allen, take Hitomi to be your wife?" the old priests' voice boomed out over the crowd.

"I do," Allen replied, staring into Hitomi's eyes. She was crying. Crying from the pain of it all.

Van's teeth were ground together. Why the fuck was he still there? He was taking the coward thing too far. Each word was a pang. They had no right to subject him to this torture.

_Oh wait, I have no rights at all._

Behind him, he heard a low hum. Impossible. Nothing could be behind Van. He was dead last and, as far as he knew, everyone who was physically able to attend in Basram was here. The hum became louder. There was something wrong. Every instinct in his body was being sent through the roof. The humming was even louder now, others only just starting to notice.

A shadow passed over them all.

Van drew his sword as he ran. This cannot be happening.

_To Be Continued_

**A/N: Yes, now you guys are probably all confuzzled. I'm sorry. This wasn't how I intended to write it. It's just sorta . . . how it came out. Gawd, I can never stick to the same writing style. Sorry. Um . . . Damn, I left a cliffy too. Aw well, sucks for you :P. Hm . . . I guess some questions will be answered next chapter. **

**Some.**

**By the way, some of you may wonder why Hitomi's brother is not heir to the thrown (yes, her brother will be a part of this). My answer to you is this: BECAUSE I SAID SO. **

**Between, I'm not good at describing clothes. Fashion is definitely one of the areas I lack in. If Vi3t BaBiI decides I get too bad at it, I'm sure I'll get tutorials or something from her ;).**

**Vi3t BaBiI is my beta reader, and one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. (And she's in honors English ;)**

**Please review, it makes me happy. (Sometimes, it makes me update faster 'cause I feel bad).**

**Luff you!**

**-Spirit0**

**Vi3t Babii – Hello readers. I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this fabulous story of Spirit0's. This is one of my fave's, by far! Don't you guys think the plot is so exciting? And she's just talking crap about the fashion thingy. I didn't alter a single description on anyone's clothes. oOoBEAMSoOo.... I'm one of her bestest friends in the whole wide world - (I'm doing terribly horrible in English so that statement of hers means nothing) **


	2. The Attack

When Doves Cry

**A/N: Guten Tag! ('good day' in German, which I do NOT, by far, speak fluently! (But hopefully when I'm finished high school, I'll be halfway decent with it.)) -scared- Ack, don't kill me, all you wonderful people! -sobs- I've been working on it, slowly but surely I've been working on it! But then I ran into one of those . . . "LIFE SUCKS! RAWR!" periods. -sighs- Okay, to be honest, it still hurts, but . . . I've gotta get back on the horse and ride it, you know? (And then I was just generally cranky at this fic)**

**And I probably would have finished this sooner . . . but . . . Well, I was originally waiting for my beta-reader to actually BETA-READ! But then I discovered that she was falling asleep and talking to her boyfriend endlessly, and that she wasn't doing so hot in English, and it's near the end of the marking period. So it's not that I fired her, I just wanted her to pass English. So . . . That's the reason for all the crappy mistakes -sobs- Sorry in advance . . .**

Chapter Two: The Attack

The air was heavy with stunned and confused auras; auras that soon turned into a stifling panic. Then came the roar of feet pounding the hard earth, and the screams of those who were too slow to keep the pace. And then, the most horrible thing of all, the ground was painted red with the blood of innocent people, killed by innocent people, in a race of survival.

All it took to cause such pandemonium was a single machine. Wise men always said the worse thing that would happen to the world would be technology. While machines did many good tasks, they also performed some of the worst evils. Such was the task of this blood-red machine- often called a Guymelef- built to kill. Using its metal claw, it was able to kill many defenseless citizens in one shot. It was something that the people of Basram had never seen before, and those who were struck would never be able to see it again. Whoever was in control was aiming at the crowd, with no particular target.

Van ran as fast as he could to make it to the alter, despite Merle's shouts, but was caught halfway up the aisle by a tidal wave of people. In order not to injure anyone, or himself, he had to sheath his sword, much to his disdain. It took almost all his effort just to fight the current, but he kept plowing up to the alter. Up to certain death. Up to . . . save _her_ from both that incompetent knight and odd Guymelef, for he wasn't sure which of the two was more dangerous. And both combined just equaled certain death.

Breathing slightly heavy, Van finally managed to break free at the end of the crowd, just in time to witness the slaughtering of the old priest. Apparently, play time was over for . . . whoever the hell he was. Just as Van had feared. His eyes roamed around frantically for the almost-newlywed couple. And finally he spotted them, off to the side, with Hitomi struggling against Allen even at such a dire time.

The enemy spotted them as well.

"Hitomi!" Van cried, running even faster than before, his heart pounding as he was sent on an adrenaline rush. Hitomi turned around as Allen grabbed for her arm.

The enemy aimed one of its claws.

"Run!" Van shouted as he quickly gained on the couple. Hitomi wrenched her arm away from Allen, intending to go to Van instead. She didn't hear his cry over the screams.

The enemy fired its claw, causing a harsh hissing noise to pierce the tense atmosphere.

_NO!_

With a desperate speed burst, Van made it just in time to the save the princess from what would've been death. Allen, too, dodged it just in time to avoid any bloodshed, much to Van's dislike. Even so, Van had to give a small, satisfied smirk as he watched the noble seethe and run in the opposite direction. His precious princess had been taken from right under his nose, by the one person who was lower than dirt on Gaea.

"Van . . !" Hitomi cried, unable to find the words to finish her sentence.

What was he supposed to do now? Surely the pilot of the strange Guymelef would follow him, since he was attempting to protect the princess, who was obviously a target. There was no where safe to go. Instead, Van simply ran a zig-zagged path, in no particular direction, with no particular plan except to get away.

"Shhhh," Van chided, sweating from physical exertion and a terrible fear. All he could do was run in between buildings, ducking in the shadows, praying that the pilot would not see him. What troubled him most was the location of everyone else, especially the royals. Where had they gotten to? Were they dead? Did they know an escape route?

_They might know an escape route . . .And they call me a bastard._

Between two tall buildings, Van stopped to catch his breath in the shadows, and relieve his arms of their cargo for a few moments. He had no idea where they were, no idea where the invading Guymelef was, and nor did he particularly care. Somewhere in the distance, loud crashes could be heard as buildings were turned back into mere dust. He shuddered involuntarily.

"Van," Hitomi whispered frantically, dabbing his forehead with her once-upon-a-time pure white wedding dress. Hazy, dark maroon eyes met scared, swarming sea green ones for only a brief second before looking away.

Pushing her hand away gently, but firmly, he growled between breaths, "Don't you . . . '_Van'_ me . . ."

There was an awkward silence as Hitomi tried to think of something useful to say, and Van looked just about everywhere but at her. Finally, with a sigh, he worked up the courage to face her.

"You know . . . I didn't mean it," he whispered quietly, listening as yet another building toppled. The sound was getting closer.

"I know, but . . . There's no time for this," she choked.

Faster than she would have ever thought, Van picked up the broken princess once again, staring hard into her watery eyes. But his voice now carried a softer tone. "Where should we go?"

"The castle . . ." Hitomi whispered, wrapping her arms around her saviors neck, tangling her fingers in his messy, sweaty hair. Even now, it caused Van to shudder, as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, seeking warmth he could not possibly provide.

_But I'll try._

"The castle?" he asked, unable to hide the disgust and contempt he felt towards that unwelcoming place. Besides, how was that a hiding place? It was the largest building in the whole damn city! Which meant it would fall _down_ the hardest as well. Plus . . .

_Why would they save me?_

Hitomi nodded, her long, silky light brown hair tickling his neck. "There should be . . . an escape airship waiting there." Her grip tightened as he hurriedly peaked out around the buildings, seeking the correct direction of the castle before breaking into a run. "And Van?" she half asked, half screamed.

"What?"

"I won't leave without you . . ." she said, just audible, as she unconsciously caressed his neck in a soothing manner.

oOo

"How could you!" a tall, burly man bellowed frantically. Piercing emerald eyes bore into cerulean ones intensely, seeking answers that were no where to be found. With a desperate sigh, the man looked into the distance worriedly, running a hand through his wavy dark brown hair. The sky was now a hazy orange and black, for the sun was blocked by heavy ash clouds as the city burned.

Lord Kanzaki cried inwardly.

Allen stared blankly at the ground. "She kept resisting me . . . As if _I_ were the enemy. And the next thing I knew, _he_ was there."

"That good for nothing bastard!" lord Kanzaki spat with utmost contempt, quivering with rage and grief.

"Sire," one of the few survivors called. "If we do not leave now, we may not make it."

But the two men did not hear him as they watched a rapidly approaching, hazy figure.

oOo

_Almost there._

He felt like he would collapse at any second as heat, fear, and constant movement made his legs feel like jello, while increasing smoke clouds made his eyes tear. The only thing that kept him going was the bundle in his arms; the bundle that so lovingly and encouragingly caressed his sweaty neck. If it weren't for her . . .

_I would've been gone a long time ago._

"Where . . . am I . . . supposed . . . to go?" Van choked out between gasping breaths.

"You'll know, don't worry. They'll be waiting for us," Hitomi replied hurriedly.

"And . . . if they're not?" Van asked, even though he knew he was wasting his tainted breath.

She smiled lightly into his chest. "Then at least we'll die together."

He wanted to yell _'I will not let you die!'_, but he couldn't, for there was no more breath to waste on such futile heroics. Besides, he had bigger problems to face.

The airship was waiting impatiently.

oOo

Everyone was aboard when they got there, except Lord Kanzaki and Allen. Both nobles looked relieved, but only for the safety of their princess, as Van placed his weighty package on her feet. They wasted no time dragging, literally _dragging_, the stubborn girl onto the massive, levi-stone powered airship. Neither Allen nor the king wasted so much as a glance on Van.

"No, you can't!" Hitomi screamed, struggling against her father and her almost-husband, trashing wildly. "You can't! You can't leave him here!"

_A fiery death doesn't sound so bad._

They chose to ignore her pleas to save him. Of course they ignored him and anything to do with him. Even poor peasants did not acknowledge Van's existence. The only person who thought of him as an equal was the one person that even God could not rival. Such was his greatest curse; loving the one person he had no shot in hell of having, even in his dreams.

But the worse thing of all was that she loved him too.

"VAN!" Hitomi screamed, freeing one arm and reaching out for his hand, though they were meters apart. Even across the distance, he could see the tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes.

_I promised . . ._

Before Van could even comprehend what was happening, his hand was intertwined with that of the princesses, gripping it tightly. His reaction forced Allen and Lord Kanzaki to at least realize his presence. A look of horror and desperation filled their eyes. But Hitomi's eyes were filled with longing and hope. And what she wanted outweighed the desires of the world.

"Let go of her this instant!" Lord Kanzaki screeched with rage, mortified that his daughter would cling to his life so willing, so longingly. That ongoing fascination had to end, now.

"No," Van replied, quietly, yet with a touch of firmness. He didn't even notice the king. His eyes were locked with the princesses. With Hitomi's.

Allen grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding Hitomi's. "Let go, bastard," he hissed icily, slowly tightening his grip, crushing his hand to the point where the bones began to crack. Van remained motionless, fixed on his goal of surviving.

"Majesty!" a survivor called from the airship. "We have to leave! Please hurry!"

Lord Kanzaki's teeth ground together as a torn look of pain crossed his features. Van knew far too well that the kind, generous, modest king would do anything to leave him here to burn. He also knew too, that the ruler would never do anything that would in any way negatively effect his daughter.

_Except keep me from her, of course._

"Let us go," Lord Kanzaki whispered sullenly, before bolting towards the airship. The air was now heavy with heat, and the sky engulfed in black, but even so, Hitomi ventured to give Van a slight smile, while Allen gave him one last hard squeeze before letting go. Together, they boarded the airship.

The pilot took off hastily, knocking some of the survivors on board off balance. Allen, Hitomi, and Van all ended up on the floor, for they had practically just walked through the hatch. As they got up, they looked out the window, only to see fire and smoke. Van's eyes saddened as he began to wonder what had happened to Merle. It was selfish of him to leave her there. When he glanced over at Hitomi, who he'd left Merle for, she was crying. Her mother, the queen, and her brother held her. Allen had a blank face.

They were trying to fly around the smoke so that they could actually see where they were going. It all seemed to be going well, until they saw the red Guymelef emerge from the smoke. Its pilot spotted them quickly and started trailing them. The relatively new flying machine was fast. Very fast.

"He's gaining on us," the pilot of the escape airship choked, sweating out of fear. "He's too fast!"

Walking towards the pilot silently, Van grabbed the terror-stricken man and threw him to the side. He could hear Allen's cry of protest, but of course he didn't care. Van had never had the privilege of riding in an airship, much less piloting one. But how hard could it be? The harder you pressed the gas pedal, the faster the thing went, right? And there was the steering wheel for turning. Big whoop.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Van pressed the gas pedal down hard. The ship gave a lurch as its speed practically doubled. It was a strain on the ship.

"Are you crazy!" Allen shouted at him. Apparently everyone else was too shocked to be angry with Van. "If you keep this up, the ship will explode!"

"And if I don't keep this up," Van growled lowly, glancing back at the knight, "we will all be torn to bits by that _thing_. Take your pick."

Allen struggled with himself.

Even with the increased speed, the Guymelef continued to gain on the escape party. Soon, they were in target range.

"He's aiming at us!" The previous pilot stammered.

_Faster . . ._

"Lord, please help us," Hitomi's father whispered gravely.

_Come on, faster . . ._

Hitomi's words rang out in Van's head. _Then at least we'll die together._

"He's firing!" Allen cried, pounding the window helplessly.

"_No!"_ Hitomi and Van cried simultaneously. The pendant around the princesses neck began to glow.

And with a flash of blue light, they were gone.

_I can bet somewhere away, away from here  
A breath you blow comes near  
Well I hate this town and I can't wait to disappear  
_

oOo

"You say they just disappeared?" a mysterious man replied over an intercom. Inside the Guymelef, a little projection appeared, showing the speaker. His hair was an odd bluish-greenish color, while his eyes were a deep purple that bore into ones soul. There was an earing in his left ear, and a purple tear drop under his right eye. A large black and purple cape draped his body so that nothing but his head was visible. Mysterious indeed.

"Yeah, that's right, Folken," the pilot of the red Guymelef replied into his intercom. Both men seemed polar opposites. The controller of the Guymelef was albino, with the traditional white, almost silver hair and blood-thirsty red eyes. He wasn't so much mysterious as he was insane. Particularly for blood. He lived to kill, to taste the blood of others, to hear the cries of suffering.

"Interesting . . ." Folken replied slowly, pondering. "Good work, Dilandau. The country of Basram is no more."

"Tell me why I couldn't kill him . . ." Dilandau hissed. "Tell me why he had to remain alive!"

"I've told you over and over," Folken seemed irritated. "I need to talk to Van. And the world needs him for experiments."

"Experiments my ass," Dilandau exclaimed before ending the transmission.

oOo

They reappeared over a forest, where off in the distance they could still see the smoldering smoke of what used to be Basram. How they got there, no one knew. It was odd, and it scared the inhabitants of the airship, but they couldn't help feeling grateful. After all, at least they were still alive. And away from that machine.

After the initial surprise, Hitomi began to sob in the corner again. Something in Van told him he should comfort her, but he knew it was wrong of him to do so. Instead, he suffered as Allen held her and comforted her, and stroked her hair, and . . .

_Why must I be tortured like this?_

Hitomi's mother, who had the same figure as Hitomi only with shoulder-length hair and brown eyes, came to comfort her daughter. Tears sparkled at the edge of the queen's eyes as well, but she was too conditioned to let them fall. Hitomi's brother, who was still quiet young and didn't exactly understand the situation, clung to his sisters torn wedding dress. The tears ran silently down his face.

Lord Kanzaki was first to break out of the trance, a little shakily. "What . . . what should we do now?"

"Get as far away from here as possible. We can go to Asturia. My crew will be there, and I'm sure King Aston will help us," Allen replied quickly.

"But . . ." Lord Kanzaki seemed hesitant, but he was traumatized and weary from the days' events, and was unable to think of another plan.

"He will help," Allen said again, more firmly. Van eyed him, then turned to a broken Hitomi.

_No he won't._

Van bit his tongue. His opinion would not matter. His opinion wasn't even wanted in the first place. So why bother?

"Plus, we can search for answers about our mysterious attacker," Allen continued, as if still trying to convince the king of his plan. "And who sent him."

"Alright . . ." Lord Kanzaki replied slowly. "Let's get away from here . . ." He looked over at Van, saying. "You can remain at the controls, I suppose."

Van said nothing. Being pilot could not possibly be a good thing.

"Everyone else, get cleaned up and rest," his regal voice was coming back. "Find a room. There are spare clothes in every one, so we can change out of these . . . ragged ones."

Everyone began to file down the narrow hallway. Lord Kanzaki lingered behind, staring at Van the whole time. Van ignored him and kept his hands on the steering wheel.

"And . . . _you_ . . . there will be relief for you later. But as for a room . . . there are none to spare. You may sleep on the floor."

_Is that why half the rooms are empty?_

_I breathe this cold air in  
This alcoholic sin  
Like dissonant static through my veins  
When you're too far from home you fade out  
And I drown in waves... of resonance as my body drifts ashore _

**Review Replies:**

**Vi3t Babii**: Are you passing English yet?

**Carrie21:** Heh, well, I finally got around to continuing -sheepish grin-. This chapter sucked, ne? Couldn't help the suckiness . . . I can't believe I'm being this mean to Van X.X! I would say it's going to get better, but alas, I won't lie. It's not going to. -huggles Vanny boy- Hehe, hope you can pick out at least some good things from this chapter. Thanks!

**Macky**: Not a very good follow-up, though. -sigh- Aw well, thanks for the review!

**Inda:** I feel like I'm letting so many people down with this chapter, heh. But thanks!

**dreamingofflyingaway: **Ugh . . . sorry for the bad continuation of my previous chapter. (It's so sad I couldn't leave you with another cliffy, haha! -so evil-) Ehhhhh, sorry for the long wait and thanks!

**Aka V-Chan:** HAHA, if only I _could_ kill Allen! (Well, I mean, I could, but . . . you know, heh) Alas, he is vital to Van's misery :). So he'll have to remain (sadly). Thanks and sorry for the wait!

**MirokuLover: **Thanks, and sorry for the wait and the crappy chappie two!

**FullMoonBunny:** Hehe, thanks. I think my writing style nose-dived this chapter. But I couldn't stop it. Hm . . . I try to keep everyone's character the same except Hitomi's, mainly because I find her annoying :P. (I still don't understand why Van would fall for her!) Oh wow, November 16th . . . That just reminds me of how long it's been XD. Darn, I really gotta try harder at these things. Oh well. Thanks for the encouraging review!

**jossi-31: **Thanks!

**Sakura onto Hitomi: **Ja, "whenever it comes out" is right/ My bad! Thanks for the review, without such I probably would've never finished this XD.

**fireangel621: **-feels so bad- I took forever. Forgive me? Thanks for the review, it seriously kept me going.

**Pandora:** Ha, are you SURE you wanted to read that chapter? I personally didn't like it . . . but . . . I really couldn't think of what to do. -shrugs- I tried. Hehe, "interesting" is an interesting word, anyway. -needs to shut up- Thanks for the review!

**Kat-Tastrophe:** Left you hanging, my bad, haha. But thanks anyway, I'll seriously try harder next time :).

**JadedTruth:** -pang- Hm, lessee, how long has it been? Way too long, right? God, I'm soooooooooo baaaaaaaaaad. Sorry! Thanks for the review, those are really helpful!

**Annie:** But I like cliffies! I'm evil like that! Haha, from what I hear, ja, siblings are evil -is an only child-, but I wouldn't know personally. Sorry it took so long for me to get this crappy chapter out! But thanks for the review!

**kairi-heartilly: **Na, it's not rude. I'm just slow (in the head . . . and half the time I'm not even kidding X.X). Hehe, nope, sorry, Van's tongue is currently out-of-order. But he did something, didn't he? Thanks for the review and I'll try harder to update next time!

**Dalafanole:** Well, I continued, ne? Kinda late, but I couldn't help it :(. I'll get my act together next chapter. Thanks!

**Daisuke-n-Dark: **Vi3t Babii is just so special, I use "bestest" with her, lol. Darn, I wish you really HAD come and found me, haha. Then maybe I would've written faster! But as I said, I WAS writing outlines! That counts, right? And I don't believe this chapter is all that great . . . I ducked out at the end, and over-worked the beginning. But from here-on I'll try harder. To update and have balance, hehe. Sorry I really did take forever and thanks for the review!

**iceboltmage: **That was definitely NOT ASAP, eh? So sorry, I'll do better next time :(. Thanks for the review!

**Strawberryz:** So, what has it been now, like four, five months? Haha, sorry -really doesn't know how long it's been- Gonna do better next time. Thanks!

**Diabolic Angel:** I feel so honored! (That may sound sarcastic, but it's really not, lol. SERIOUSLY, it's not!) Lookie, I updated . . . Really late :). Couldn't prevent it . . . (Okay, well, I tried, ne?) Haha, hope you didn't run away because of the horrible chapter! Thanks!

**A/N: UGH! -so annoyedcalms- Sorry . . . the ending is vague. But if it wasn't, I probably would never finish this chapter. Please don't be mad, there will be more details about characters in the next chapter! I swear! -parents keep yelling- Augh . . .**

**The song is "Fall of Atherton" by Strike.Fire.Fall.  
**

**-sigh- I'm updating Last Stop next . . . I would say it's less stressful to write, but it's not . . . Especially the next chapter.**

**Review and make me happy?**

**-Spirit0**


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